I Need Some Help Finding The Artist In Hamilton New Zealand

I am having another headache day or two and my sleep schedule is so messed up due to it so rather than getting nothing done, I sorted through pictures again and found even more that needed sorting and deleted over 23,000 duplicates of files and pictures. I really wish when I had copied over back up files from the old, old computer to my old lap top that I had done it then but things have just escalated with many back ups of all the old computers, I am still not done cleaning out all the files. 

I was glad I was able to have Princess Two clean out her files of pictures that she doesn't want or weren't the best to begin with and am planning on having the other girls sort through their files as well so I am not continuing to restore bad files with ones that have been cleaned out as I did with Princess Two a few months back. I guess she had cleaned out her files and then there were so many multiple copies and back ups that I restored the deleted photos accidently and she had to take the time to pull out all the bad ones again last week. 

I hope I can do that with all the files and once it is organized, I can make a back up drive of the cleaned and organized pictures, journals and their school files without storing things that they don't want. I am just grateful it is all digital for the past 10 or so years so I don't have bins of papers and pictures to sort for that time. I still have lots of bins but  figure once I get this done, it will be easier to maintain it in an organized manner as I start including new scans or movies I will be transferring to digital soon. 

There is so much to keep me busy but at least I am getting something done while suffering with the headaches this week. 

While sorting through the pictures, I found a few of this cute little picture in my mom's estate stuff. I don't remember it hanging most of my life but I think I vaguely remember it at some point in our home. It was left after everyone had pulled out what they wanted and when I read the back of it, I was excited that it was painted and given to her in New Zealand. I lived in N.Z. as an exchanged student my Jr. year in high school so I asked if I could keep it since it pertained to N.Z. It is funny that if something was attached to her Beauty Queen years, it seems to have more value to the family that the other items as she had SO much stuff, it was hard to determine what to keep. 

I tried to see if there was any indication on the painting of the artist and couldn't find one and couldn't find any indication on the back where he wrote a little note to my mother. She was touring the south islands and stopped in New Zealand in Hamilton for the LDS temple dedication there in 1957 / 1958. She took many slides of that time but when we sorted through those, I don't know if she took a picture with the person or not because we only scanned the pictures with her in them as she took thousands of pictures and slides and we had to prioritize with that. 

I don't know if anyone will be able to help me find the artist but I figured I have much more of a chance putting it on youtube and my blog as people are good to help if they can. 


Thanks in advance for any help anyone can give me with this. I am working on her history and I would love to include the name of the artist with this painting in her history. 

Have a Blessed Day! 

The Power of Touch For Good

I love touch. My mother was always stroking our hair, rubbing our backs and touching me my entire life. If she could reach you, she touched you. She was this way with everyone. I was looking for a picture and found this one of her hugging some workers who had helped her in rehab at one point. This translated into me always touching my children, rubbing their feet, backs, hands and to this day, I love it when they will hug me or scratch my back.

I didn't realize how much I needed touch in my life until my divorce. I realized during that time that even though much of the touch I got being married was negative, it was still touch. I have heard studies and stories about touch dealing with orphaned babies thriving when touched and those that weren't touched deteriorated or died. 

I thought about that during my divorce as when my kids were gone, there were days, even weeks where I had no human touch. 

One such time, I had a friend invite me to a movie. At the theater, there was a married couple sitting behind us that we knew, the husband put his hand on my shoulder and asked how I was doing with everything. I was taken back as most of our couple friends avoided me during that time as they didn't want to get involved or "pulled" in to take sides. 

When I went to my ecclesiastic leader a few years before, when my former spouse had gotten violent with me, the leader gave us his advice and suggested some options. As happens in those type of cases, things improved temporarily and then went back to as they had been rather quickly. After that time, the leader avoided eye contact with me. I took it personally for a few months and then realized that the leader didn't want to "see" that I was staying in an abusive relationship yet wasn't equipped to deal with such a situation. He did his best to counsel us but in the end, I chose to stay. I didn't see that I was looped into an abuse cycle at the time.


During my divorce, I once again noticed that my friends husbands and some church friends that were male were always looking past me when talking to me and I would stop and look behind me to see who they were looking at instead of looking directly at me. It took me a month or two to figure out that, once again, the men didn't want to see that something they couldn't fix was happening. It was very strange for me, yet I was able to understand that many men are wired that way. They are "fixers" and if they can't "fix" something, they don't want to see it. I have met other women who had this same situation happen to them as well. 

Thus during that time, I had been feeling very alone in many ways as we used to be the couple that hosted a Valentines Party and a Halloween Party for all our friends every year. Once we split, those friends continued to have parties, but now I wasn't invited. I didn't blame them, but it was hard to go from being the planner and involved to not getting invited to do anything. My divorce took well over two years and even then, it was appealed and went on so things didn't settle down for many years.

I realize that this information is probably more than I have ever shared in ten years on my blog about my personal life, but I share that so you will realize where I was when this man touched my shoulder and asked how I was doing. His male touch in a sweet and healthy way along with his kindness in asking how I was doing when most of my friends were avoiding me, truly nearly brought me to tears in that movie theater. 

I am posting this as I had similar experience this past Sunday. I was attending a farewell for a friends daughter and during the talk, I thought about a few situations with this friend that had happened over time and just recently, I went through some court documents and in going through them, it brought up some intense feelings that stemmed from the first few months of my divorce. I went to this friend and shared how I had been hurt by that at the time and had thought I was over it until I read those documents. I told her I had been able to work through those feelings and was shocked that after 15 years, one piece of paper could bring up such feelings. She has been a dear friend for over 20 years and I so appreciated that she could allow me to share that experience with her. There have also been times where I know I had offended this friend and I was grateful that she would forgive me of those times as well. 

I was pondering on that and other things during the talk and giving gratitude that forgiveness is an option and that I know that Christ atoned for our sins and that I can be forgiven and forgive others through his example.  

The talk ended, my friends other younger daughter got up to head to the front of the meeting to sing a song and she was sitting behind me. She touched my shoulder and either asked how I was doing or said it was good to see me there or something but the words were a bit hazy as when she touched my shoulder in such a kind and loving way, I was taken back to that time many years ago when someone directly behind me touched me and showed he cared. 

After the meeting, I told her daughter how much that kind touch meant to me as I was sitting there on a bench by myself alone. I thanked her for her kind words and gentle touch and commented on how you don't always realize how much you need touch until you don't have anyone there to touch you. 

She seemed to appreciate those words and I am sure she had no idea what her little gesture meant to me. 

I wasn't able to go visit them after the meeting as I had obligations at my own church that day but I usually help the family clean up or set up the meal after the farewell if I can, but did offer to help before the meeting if I could. Later that afternoon, one of the family dropped off a beautiful miniature buttercup daffodil planter and some gluten free pancake mix. I laughed as this friend is always so good to make sure she has things I can eat and enjoy when she plans activities. 

I felt so loved and appreciated that day and am so grateful that kindness and forgiveness can melt those harsh or hurt feelings away and that I am blessed with such amazing friends.

A few years ago, another friend planned a Valentines couples party and invited me and a few other single friends to her couples party and I appreciated so much her thinking of me when planning that as sometimes Valentines Day can be hard for singles. 

I am so grateful to those who share touch with me. I have a dear friend who went to massage therapy school with me and many times over the years she will invite me over for a massage and I hate to say I am not as good at giving back to her as I should be. I love her so much for her thoughtfulness and kindness to me. 

I used to go to the nursing home and rub patients feet with lotion and sing them their favorite hymn or carol over the holidays as I know how much touch can heal. I am sure that is why I became a nurse and a massage therapist. I hope I can start feeling better so I can once again do service like that.

Anyway, I just wanted to share that maybe there is someone in your world who needs a gentle touch. I pray we can all be guided to helping those who may just need a loving touch! 

Have a "touching" and Blessed Day!

Step Sister Delight - Into the Woods For Princess Five

As you may know, if you read the blog, Princess Five is super busy finishing up her last semester for her associates degree.

She is taking 19 credits and is in the spring musical. They have quite a few performances and she is so busy I don't hear from her much. She tried out for the musical hoping for a lead but since she isn't in the Music program or the Drama program so those select few roles were semi preselected.

She was happy to get even a minor roll in the play and ended up being on of the step-sisters. We thought it was funny that she has already played a step-sister in the production of Cinderella a few years back. Here is a link to my post about that with some videos of her performance as well. 

Funnier still, she was in "Into the Woods" as a small girl and played one of Cinderella's birds. It was when she was about 4 or 5.

I don't have the family pictures scanned from back then so I couldn't find one of her as a bird in the play but we thought it was fun that she got to be in the same play and the same "roll" but different plays.  

I am sad in some ways that she is graduating a year early with her associates degree due to taking so many college credits in high school. I'm sad because I would love to see her in the productions next year but she is smart to get her degree ahead of schedule. 

She has worked hard and is maintaining her scholarship to take to another school to get a four year degree but she isn't sure what she wants to do for a career. She is thinking about serving as a missionary as most of her sisters have. 

Princess Two was picked up along the way as Princess Three and her boyfriend were traveling through to come to the play to support Princess Five. She was SO happy to have so many of the family there to support her. 

While there, she showed us that she was on the cover of the school paper which was fun. She was happy to have a role in the play and to be on stage doing what she loves. 

She was grateful for the flowers from her sisters and gifts she got from me but I think her real gift is just being on stage. 

We now have a tradition of having sushi after the show as this is the third show this year and I couldn't resist getting more for this one as she loves it so much. It really made her night. 

I am so grateful that the girls were willing to travel on a snowy winters evening to support their sister and that Princess Three's boyfriend was willing to do some of the driving! 

We are so blessed. 

The Legend of Dangling Rope Marina - Lake Powell, Utah

My father is the most active person I have ever met. For my entire life, he hiked the largest mountain in the area at least once a week but even more if he could. He and his brothers don't sit still. Our families often joke about how we get to a destination and within minutes the brothers are all restless to move on. I think they must have nomad blood in their veins.  

There hasn't been a trip or vacation where he didn't take a hike of some kind. He also golfed every chance he got wherever he traveled. He had golf clubs in his car for years until he broke his arm and couldn't golf anymore.

Many years ago, I was at a family reunion and they asked us to do a skit. I wanted to do a song parody about my dad so I asked his sister to tell me a story about my dad that he wouldn't have told us.

She told us that he came home from jeeping one time and his hands and chest were all "sanded down and raw" and they had to ask his brother and friends what had happened to him as she said he never talked about the incident.

From that reunion day on, my dad would share the story with us but I had never heard this story in such detail as he told this day and I think it was because I made him a "life quilt" and I asked if he would share some stories on video so I could share them with my grand-children. 


I don't know that anyone besides my immediate family knows the story of why "Dangling Rope Marina" got its name. Hopefully after sharing this, people will know the truth about that name. I can testify that it is true and I am sure his brother and friends could verify the story as well.

I thought I would show him hiking in snow and sand... I have pictures of him with huge packs in Alaska, on a camel in Egypt, on top of Mayan Ruins in South and Central America and many camping pictures. He gave me an adventurous spirit.

Here is a picture of me hiking a 1 mile trail which is super steep at about age 4. I still love traveling and seeing new things. I was able to hike Wayna Picchu at Machu Picchu twice in my life. Not many people can probably say that. 

I am grateful he shared this story with us and am glad that I asked my aunt for a story as now it has become a legend in our family. 

Take the time to record your own legends and stories so you don't regret not getting it while you can! 

Have a Blessed Day! 

Thelma The Amazing - Worked at Hickam Airforce Base at 18 Tells Her Story Of Pearl Harbor

I am so blessed to have this woman in my life. My father remarried about 20 years ago and with that huge blessing in our life, we got Grandma Thelma as a bonus!


Thelma is my step-mother's mother. She is going to be 96 in April. She is seriously one of the most amazing people I know. She is still mobile and has an amazing memory and is still in great shape. 


For years she crocheted all the grand-children baby booties and they still have them. She also made cute bookmarks crocheted as well until her eyes deteriorated. She has always helped with the family activities and always has a smile. She never complains and you would never guess how old she is.... 

My girls LOVE Thelma and are so grateful that she came as part of the amazing package with her wonderful daughter and my step-siblings. 

Last week, I spent Valentines Day with my daughter, my dad, his wife and Thelma going to lunch and then video taping stories from their lives. 

I had such a lovely day and posted about it here. 

I recorded many stories that day but I wanted to share this one with you. I think this story is historical in nature and should be shared.  

I am sorry my part in the video is "underwater" sounding but I realized after recording that I had a small sticky note over one of the microphones on the computer so I was sitting on the wrong side so the sound is iffy. 

I am so glad I was able to get the recordings I was that day and since then, I have thought of other things I wanted recorded so I hope I get the opportunity to record those stories soon. 

I hope that you take the opportunity to record the stories that are important to your family or may be important or even just humorous as you never know when it will be too late. I think all or us learned something knew from her telling of the story that day including her daughter. 

Have a Blessed Day! 

Trying Citrus Cleanse For Parasites - Good and Bad

A few years back, I was searching some parasite websites when I was trying to figure out what type of parasite I had. 

I found a post about someone that made their own parasite cleanse and shared what they did and how it worked for them. They said that it made them really sick for a day but killed off lots of worms and they were afraid to do it again but felt they should. 

I printed it out and put it in the file of parasites stuff I have and it got lost. I found it the other day and thought I would try it over a weekend just in case it worked. I bought all the stuff but forgot to get fresh ginger root so I just substituted the powder and don't know that it mattered but may try in next week with the fresh ginger root.

The recipe called for:
1 entire orange with peel
1/2 lemon with peel
1/2 lime with peel
 1/2 inch fresh ginger root
1 1/2 Tbs organic raw honey
Water

I personally added about 2 tsp pomegranate peel powder. Check out my blog here for how to make that.

I would suggest cutting the orange into pieces to make it blend easier. I used my VitaMix and the orange just kept spinning on the top. I didn't add tons of water but you could add as much water as you feel is functional for you but I didn't want to have to drink tons if it was hard to get down. I am a "guzzle it quick" girl when it comes to things that taste bad.

The glass on the left was the thick sludge type stuff and the one on the right is what was left in the blender when I sprayed it out and saved that glass to pour into a bath. 

I took another rinse of the blender and used a cotton ball to rub some of the citrus on my skin to see if it would bring any parasites out and it didn't do anything but make my skin feel clean after I rinsed it but I gave it a try anyway. 

I was worried about what may happen if I took the entire amount as I have such a large load of parasites so I drank half the mixture. It was quite acidic and left my mouth tingling like it does when you put a lemon in making it "your teeth" type of thing. Other than that, I didn't notice anything about taking the 1/2 mixture drink that night or the next day. 

I took the watery citrus mix and filled up a hot bath and dumped the mixture in the bath along with a handful of "real" salt and some apple cider vinegar. I have been scared to take baths for awhile as I have ended up with rashes either from the stuff I put into the tub trying what people suggested using laundry soap, a little bleach etc or that maybe the parasites burrow out and then back in the skin, either way, it hasn't been pleasant taking baths recently. I haven't had a good bath experience for the last few times. 

I have to share that the citrus, vinegar, and salt mixture in the bath worked well and I enjoyed the bath and didn't end up with any rashes. It was a nice clean feel and I really enjoyed it which was a relief as I was worried about it. 

I noticed no die off symptoms and no reaction of any kind after drinking the citrus mix. Granted, I only drank half of the mixture. I mixed the second glass into two glasses and added water and drank 1/4 of the mixture for the next two days. I didn't notice any kind of die off headache, no expelling of any parasites and on the third night drinking the last 1/4 of the mix, my stomach hurt like when I had ulcers and I know that the citrus acid was bothering the lining of my stomach. I get this way when I add lemon to my water too often, the citrus acid just upsets the lining of my stomach so I have to be careful not to drink it every day. 

I didn't have any feeling that it was doing much other than I felt like the parasites were active more during the day but that was probably due to the fact that I was eating curry the past two days. 

I am super sad that this didn't do more for me but on the other side, if it did, the upset to my stomach lining probably wouldn't have allowed me to do if for long anyway. The only weird thing that did happen was that I woke in the middle of the night with a super clear sinus but it didn't seem better during the day so I am not sure what that was but it was interesting to note and document anyway. 

I think I will make more of this mixture to use in the bath! I may try it with the fresh ginger root but my thinking is that I will make it into ice cubes and freeze some so that I can just throw some cubes into the bath water when I want to take a bath as I did feel cleaner and fresher after taking the bath with it in the water. I tried in the past to use fresh boiled lemons in the bath with the salt as someone online suggested, but it was a bit of a pain to get ready and haul to the bathroom to use. But, these frozen cubes would be super easy for the bath! I think I am going to do that in the future. 

Anyway, I think drinking this was similar to taking Grapefruit seed extract and don't see it being worth the time and effort to drink as it didn't kill off any of this type of parasite but I can't say you shouldn't try it if you have a different type of parasite. Just because it didn't work for mine, doesn't mean it won't work for you. 

I will make an update video about this tomorrow and hopefully keep trying stuff until we find a cure for this! Have a Blessed Day! 

Dragon of Ice and Cats - Princess Four In Japan

Hello to my favorite Beautiful People!

Yesterday my beautiful bean and I both slipped and fell down.... If that doesn't tell you how Ichi(unified) we are, I don't know what will! Luckily we are ok!

The senior Elder fell and broke his ankle this week... so we are counting our blessings. We hope he recovers quickly! 

Some miracles and good times of this week! 

We taught Yuka san! She fed us ray... as in Manta ray... as in like.. yes. It was pretty good. You eat the bones too, so imagine eating chicken cartilage. I would eat again.

She is too cute! We invited her to baptism, and she said Muri... which means impossible, but it is only her second lesson, and she asked who God is, and so, like most people here in Japan, we have to teach her from the very very beginning! We have a lot of hope for her! she is just a doll! Please be baptized! And we went with a member and they just hit it off. I love this gospel!

 

We went and looked at a huge set of dolls for girls day here in Japan. I remember last year I learned about some of the symbolism, and a lot of it is church related, but I forgot. Luckily google exists for you out there!

We taught a really nice lesson to a woman. She fell from a parking garage a few floors in her car, and she broke her back, but she is ok now. She asked what we thought. I told her about my sister, and her (roll over)experience, and testified about the Plan of Salvation, and how I know it's true. My companion, and the Bishops wife were crying, and the spirit was so strong, which means they felt it too. They said "no" to lessons, but we will see! They were so cute! 

I sent my little Bean Shimai on a Valentines Scavenger hunt! I love my bean! Thank you mom for the Valentine tradition! 

we taught our beloved Wako chan on Valentine's Day. No better way to spend the day of love than by talking and teaching about the Savior and His Gospel! 

We went on splits this week. Shout out at the Beautiful Cha Shimai. We ran into a members friend, and she gave us cake. And then we also got long sticky potatoes from a member. All in a days work. Too fun! 

We went to a concert that a family invited us to. Please be baptized Waka ke! They played Stars and Stripes forever as the encore, and we lost it. Shout out to the two Americans on the very front row of this concert. God Bless the USA. And Japan. Please open all of everyone's hearts to the gospel.

Western night is becoming a HUGE deal. Shout out at my college swing class for coming in clutch. My companion and I will be singing Jambalaya. Videos to come. 

The members here are just TOO good. We would be so lost without them. I love the ward!!!! 

At Eikaiwa we learned that Haikus are Japanese. They are about Seasons. But Senryus are just the 5 7 5 syllable pattern. Thank you Japan.

Pictures:

She is a dragon.

This is a cat.

These are Pegasus.

Most of the District.

We are sitting in a heart. Yay.

That is snow people. With lights. 10/10 would recommend.

YUKA SAN! And ray..

Sister Cha! 

And I had a dream about my comp one time. So dogs here wear socks. And in the dream she wanted to buy some, but the store lady was like, "Mam, those socks are for dogs." And my companion just looks back at her and says, "and people." 

Have such a great week. See the miracles!